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Summer: 7:00AM-5:00PM

Winter: 7:00AM-4:30PM

Saturdays: 7:00AM-12:00PM

Hobdy and Read was founded in 1907 by Arthur Hobdy and William A. Read. The business started in a small building near the L & N Railroad on East Main Street in Scottsville, Kentucky. A few years later they constructed a new building on East Main Street now occupied by the Dollar General Corporation. Coal, ice, salt, sand and bricks were among the first products sold. Chickens, eggs, ginseng, scrap iron and wool were bought or received in trade.

Hobdy and Read became a Ford franchise dealer in 1914. They sold cars, tractors, and farm implements with the Ford emblem. Cars were shipped by train in crates to be assembled upon arrival. The parts department was said to have been a grass sack of parts stored with the chickens. In 1915, Mr. Hobdy built the structure located at the corner of South 1st and East Main Streets. The business operated at this location for 65 years. Roy Dye purchased a part interest in the business in 1925 and Hobdy, Dye & Read became the new name. in 1916 they became a Standard Oil dealer and during the 1920's they sold Maytag washing machines. The upstairs of the building was rented as office space, and for many years the Red Cross was located there.

Mr. Hobdy died in 1936 and Mr. Read died in 1938. Their widows retained their interest in the business until their deaths in 1958. Mr. Dye passed away in 1972.

In 1959 the company gave up the Ford Car Dealership but retained the tractor and farm equipment franchise. William Hobdy (son of Arthur Hobdy) became manager and part-owner along with Allan Read (son of William Read) and Mr. Dye. William Hobdy died in 1967. At that time, long time employees Harold King and Don Livesay purchased part ownership along with Willie E. Lee. Mr. Lee sold his part ownership to Steve Heath in 1980. In 1981 a new building was constructed at 1400 Bowling Green road on five acres of land that had been purchased in 1968. The Company started operating at this location in October of 1981. Ford, New Holland, Hesston, Bush Hog and Woods were the major lines of equipment sold at the time. Mr. Livesay retired in 1979 and Mr. King retired in 1984. In 1989 Steve Heath purchased their interest in the company.

In 1999 the new Highway 231 construction project took the building and most of the land at the Bowling Green Road location. The adjoining old sewing factory building and land at 261 Burnley Road was purchased. This building had been constructed by the City of Scottsville in 1968. After a major remodeling project, the business opened at the Burnley Road location in February of 2000. In March of 2003, Hobdy, Dye & Read Inc, opened a branch store at 5317 Nashville Road in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Locations were also opened in Hardinsburg and Leitchfield, Kentucky in May of 2007. On January 1st, 2010 Columbia, Kentucky store was purchased. The business currently employs about 65 people in the five different locations. Major lines of equipment currently being sold include New Holland, Kubota, Landpride, Great Plains, Bush Hog, Kinze, Krause and Badboy.

Current technology such as the Internet has greatly expanded the customer base and contributed to the growth of the company. Since 1999, Hobdy, Dye & Read Inc., has received the President's Prestige Award from New Holland. It's an honor given annually to dealers achieving a high level of customer satisfaction, service support and market share.

As the landscape of farming continues to change from year to year, Hobdy, Dye & Read, Inc. will make every effort to offer the highest level of sales, service and technology available to our customers. Today we have evolved into a dealer that services the row crop farmer all the way down to the weekend hobby farmer, from combines to lawnmowers. We stock several million dollars of equipment and parts throughout our five locations. Since 1907 Hobdy, Dye & Read Inc. has worked hard to meet all the needs of our customers and the farming community and hope to continue for many years to come.